Mike's wife wants a robot vacuum. So on Saturday morning Mike walks into an appliance store with a wallet, a vague sense of duty and absolutely no plan.
We're going to watch him do it twice.
Take one
Staff: Can I help you with anything?
Mike: Just looking at these.
Staff: Great. This one's got 6,000 pascals of suction, LiDAR navigation, three hours of battery, and it's on special.
Mike does not know what a pascal is. Mike nods like a man who knows exactly what a pascal is.
Staff: And this one's got an app.
They all have an app. Mike's toothbrush has an app. Mike doesn't give a hoot if it has an app.
Mike: I'll have a think.
That's retail for goodbye. That night he buys the cheapest one online, from a website that also didn't ask about his wife.
Nobody did anything wrong. The staff member was polite, the specs were accurate, and the sale walked out the door anyway.
Take two
Same Saturday. Same Mike. Same shelf.
Staff: Are you in the market for a robot vacuum?
Mike: Thinking about it. My wife wants one.
And there it is. Mike isn't buying a vacuum. He's buying brownie points, and brownie points are priced very differently.
Staff: Right. This one does the job, and it'll earn you some serious brownie points for Christmas.
That's Good. It solves the problem at a price nobody argues with. Mike could stop here and still come home a hero.
Staff: If you're happy to spend a bit more, this one maps your whole house. Send it to a specific room, tell it how often. Lounge twice a day, dining room once a week, because who actually eats in there. Honestly, it's the one I wish I'd bought.
That's Better. Mike is now picturing his lounge, spotless, and himself, credited, the shedding dogs, forgiven.
Staff: What floors have you got at home?
Mike: Carpet and tiles.
Staff: Then you'll want to see the best one we've got. It mops.
That's Best. And Mike looks at it the way some men look at boats.
Staff: Get that one and you won't need to worry about anniversaries next year. You've won with wifey.
Mike leaves with a box under his arm. Which box is between Mike and his credit card. Which do you think Mike bought?
Take one sold suction. Take two sold a peaceful marriage.
It's called Good, Better, Best
Take two wasn't luck. It's the oldest structure in retail:
- Good. The one that does the job. It tells the customer the problem can be solved, and that they're safe.
- Better. A little more, if they're happy to spend a little more. Sell it on one benefit they can picture in their own life.
- Best. The top option. Only bring it out after one more question, so it arrives as the answer to something they just told you.
The golden rule across all three: sell the benefit, never the spec. Nobody wants 6,000 pascals. They want to stop vacuuming, or to look good on Christmas morning.
Steal it
- Ask who it's really for.
- Show Good, in their words.
- Show Better, with something they can picture.
- Ask one more question.
- Show Best as the answer.
- Finish where they started.
Works on anything:
- Headphones. Ask if they fly much before the noise-cancelling pair comes out.
- Mattresses. Ask who else is in the bed.
- Prams. Ask about the footpaths where they live.
